Referring to FIG. 1a, a conventional component feeder comprises a pick surface 10 on which components 20 are distributed, and from which the components 20 are subsequently picked e.g. by means of a robot gripper 30. A pick surface 10 is typically a planar and horizontal surface which is surrounded by a retaining wall 40 for preventing the components 20 from escaping the pick surface 10. It is desirable to have a high retaining wall 40 for maximum resistance against component escape. A high retaining wall 40, however, poses a problem when components 20 near the retaining wall 40 should be picked since part of the robot gripper 30, such as a suction tool 50, may collide with the retaining wall 40 before the robot gripper fingers 60 can reach the component 20, as illustrated in FIG. 1b. The retaining wall 40 can be made lower, but this compromises its efficacy.